Sunday 25 August 2024

The Shooting (1966 Monte Hellman & co-prod)

A most bizarre and interesting Western. A grubby and mysterious woman Millie Perkins pays Warren Oates and Will Hutchins to accompany her to a remote town for no reason. They end up in the bleakest desert, with gunman Jack Nicholson (who co-produced) tagging menacingly along.

The ending is a real head scrambler, then just fades into white, anticipating the end of Two Lane Blacktop.

Liked the comedy when Hutchins runs for cover, spilling a bag of flour as he runs. And memorable encounter with bearded man in desert.

After Blacktop, Cockfighter is probably Hellman's most successful film, though the unfucked China 9, Liberty 37 is also good.

It was written by Carole Eastman (Five Easy Pieces), photographed by Gregory Sandor and edited, uncredited by Hellman. The scenery is desolate indeed.





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